William h



W. H. PREWIT.

TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-26, I916.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

7. MP H tillftrillf l fil WILLIAM H.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that T, WILLIAM H. Pinnvlr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and fititate of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses; and it dohereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in trusses.

The object of the present inventionis to improve the construction. oftrusses and to l provide a simple, practical and efficient truss ofinexpensive construction adapted to be readily applied to and removedfrom a person and capable of being comfortably worn withoutinconvenience and of being adjusted to permit the wearer to use summeror winin connection with various forms of hernia.

and capable of dispensing with pads and knobs and of fitting smoothlyagainst the body with a uniform pressure.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimhereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claim, may be resorted to wi thout departing from the spirlt orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truss constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Fi 2 is a plan view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawin In the accompanying drawing in which isillustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the trusscomprises in its construction, a pair'of main straps or strips 1 and atransversely disposed connecting strap or strip said straps or stripscon Specification of Letters Patent.

, ma a; iirrssonnt TRUSS.

Patented nee. as, rein.

2d, 1916.- Serial No. 133,364.

structed of elastic material approximately two inches wide and of anydesired weight to enable the truss to meet the desired requirement. Thetransverse connecting strap 2 is secured at points equidistant of itsends to the main strap at points intermediate of the ends of the same byrivets 3 or other suitable fastening devices. The transverse strip 2divides the main straps into front and reariportions f and 5, the rearportions being longer than the front portions which are adapted to bepassed between the legs of the wearer at the crotch to form legencircling loops. The rear portions 5 are passed around the body to forma body encircling loop or belt. By this construction, the belt and thepair of leg encircling loops present smooth surface to the body and areadaptedto produce a uniform pressure on the same. The truss adapted toyield to the movements of the wearerso as not to interfere with thevarious natural movements of the body. p y

The truss is reinforced at the points of attachment of the straps l and2 by pieces 6 of leather or other suitable material which are arrangedat the inner and on .er faces of the truss.

The ends of the connecting strap 2 are equipped with a pair of socketmembers 7 adapted to enact with stud members 8 arranged in pairs andlocated at the front ends of the main straps and at points spaced. fromthe same. The stud members and. socket members form fastening; devicesfor detachably securing the front ends of the main strap to the ends ofthe connecting strap and the additional stud members permit anadjustment of the leg encircling loops. Any number of such fasteningdevices may be employed to provide for the desired adjustment of thestraps in the formation of the leg encircling loops. The ends of theconnecting strap and the front ends of the main straps are reinforced bypieces 9 and 10 of leather or other suitable material which form tipsand which are preferably doubled and arranged upon both faces of theterminals of the straps as shown.

(June of the rear terminals of the main straps is provided with a pairof socket members 11 and the other rear terminal of the main straps isequipped with three sets of stud members 12 preferably located at theend of such main stra j and at about a quarter of an inch from the endand at and also to take up any looseness after the truss has becomeworn. The rear ends of the main straps are also reinforced by pieces 13of leather or other suitable material preferably folded and arrangedupon both faces of the straps 1 as shown.

The device is adapted to be easily and quickly applied to the body bypassing the front portions of the main straps around the legs andattaching them to the terminals of the connecting straps to form the.lower or front leg loops which are drawn upward and the rear portionsof the main straps are then snapped around the body at the back to formthe body encircling loop or belt. The stretching of the straps of thetruss around the body approximately one inch and a half or an inch andthreequarters has been found sufiicient to apply the necessary pressureto form a perfect truss for the various forms of hernia. It will beclear that the truss presents a smooth inner surface to the body of thewearer and is adapted to eliminate pads and knobs and the like and thatfree movement of the parts of the body is afforded so that the truss maybe conveniently worn when at Work.

The main straps which are arranged substantially in parallelism have aslight forward convergence and both the strain on the legs and thestrain incident to the body loop tend to hold the connecting portion ofthe strap firmly against the front of the body.

What is claimed is A truss including a pair of flexible main spacedstraps, a flexible transverse connecting strap secured to the mainstraps intermediate the ends of the same, thus dividing the main strapsinto forward and rear portions, the end portions of said connectingstrap being extended beyond the main straps, and fastening devicessecured to the ends of the main and connecting straps, the forwardportions of said main straps being adapted to encircle the limbs and besecured to the end portions of the connecting strap, the rear portionsof said main straps being adapted to encircle the body and have theirrear end portions connected, said connecting strap intersecting saidmain straps at substantially right angles and at the point of locationof the parts to be supported.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVlLLIAM ll. lltlElVIl.

WVitnesses:

FRANK C. CHnsLnY, Mrs. S. E. CRAIG.

